Three Makes a Set
by moriartyswife
Summary: I ran away six years ago, away from London, off his grid. Mycroft showed up at my apartment and now here I am, back in London. Sherlock is upset with me and I can't go anywhere without being badgered by one one of them. If only I wasn't a Holmes. Karissa Holmes, held against her will by overbearing brothers. I'm not safe here. I'm more vulnerable than ever. (Rated T for safety.)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It's been a long time since I've been in in London, or England for that matter. I'd done the seemingly impossible, I'd escaped. No one simply fell off Mycroft's grid. But I did and I never planned on returning. It'd taken almost six years but I knew that someday he'd catch up with me. My luck had to run out sometime.

I lived the United States now, after moving multiple times from places like Spain and Australia. I had just returned to my apartment that I shared with my friend Mari. She liked to have "friends" over from time to time; doing god knows what in her room. She lived a very unique life, one that kept others away. It seemed to me the best place to hide.

I wasn't sure if she'd be home or not, though it was her turn to watch the neighbor's kid. She was a sweet lady that worked double shifts a lot. She paid us a hundred bucks a night to watch Lena. I shifted the grocery bags in hands so that I could stick my key into the door handle. With some effort, it clicked and I kicked it open. The lights in the living room were on. Something felt weird.

"Mari, I got your special cereal you wanted…" I stopped at the entry. Across the room in the arm chair, sat my worst nightmare. Mari awkwardly sat on the couch with Lena.

"Carson, who is this?" Mari asked. I'd never heard her sound afraid. This wasn't just anyone though. Nations trembled at the power that he possessed.

"Well, little sister, we finally get to have a proper chat." Mycroft said. For a moment I stood completely shocked. Then I remembered how much I hated him. What he'd done to me and I snapped back to reality. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Get out." I ordered.

"Come now, we can be civil about this." Mycroft spoke, settling back into the armchair.

"Mari, take Lena out. A few choice words are about to be said." I said. Mari stood up and left. And left as in, left the apartment. Probably good thinking.

"Carson Mullins. You're eleventh alias in the past six years. I would applaud you for your uncanny ability to disappear but you know…" Mycroft trailed off. I set the grocery bags down on the couch and gritted my teeth. I hated it when he treated me like a child.

"Don't patronize me." I argued.

"I wouldn't dare. Now go pack your things, we're leaving." Mycroft said. That made me even angrier. It was like I was five all over again. Him telling me what to do because he was the oldest. Despite that, I laughed. I couldn't stop it and obviously it took Mycroft by surprise.

"Did you think you could just show up and make me leave? Why don't I make you a cup a tea while you wait? I'm not a child. I'm 21, a legal adult and you can't make me do anything. I suggest you leave. It's been most unpleasant to see you brother." I snapped. Mycroft rose from the chair to his full 6'1 height. He towered over my small 5'2 height. Tiny but mighty just happened to be my motto.

"It was not a request. We are leaving for London, and you, Karissa Renee Holmes are coming." He used his official government voice. The one that would cause full compliance from just about everyone. Everyone but me. I wouldn't cave to that anymore. I'd come much too far.

I scoffed and turned to retrieve the gun under the table by the door. Maybe if I shot him, he'd leave. Mycroft grabbed my arm, jabbing a needle into my arm. I jerked loosed and stumbled back.

"What did you give me?" I asked, the words coming out slurred. I felt dizzy and the room blurred. I blinked rapidly, trying to counteract the effects of the drug.

"It's a mild sedative. You'll be perfectly fine." Mycroft said. I stumbled toward the door. I might be able to get outside and then…and then I'd…. I thought I was about to puke. I fell to my knees. "Sleep now, little dragon. You're safe." The last words I heard before the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I cracked my eyes open to complete darkness. I was lying down, presumably on a bed. It was soft and had the feeling of mattress. I shifted slight, falling off the bed. A string of curse words flew from my mouth. My head pounded and all my bones felt heavy. What the hell did Mycroft give me? I pushed myself to my knees and felt around for the bed, using it to get to my feet. I teetered back and forth. The door opened and the light came on.

"You're alright, Karissa. The effect of the sedative should be wearing off." Mycroft said. Grabbing onto the headboard of the bed, I turned to glare at him. The light hurt my eyes. Much too bright. I could barely see him. A wave of nausea hit me. I covered my mouth and dashed through the second door, assuming it to be the bathroom. I retched out any contents in my stomach.

Leaning against the tub, I finally spoke. "Where I am?" Mycroft opened the medicine cabinet and took out a pill bottle. He then took the shining glass on the sink and filled it with water. I almost didn't want to take it from him. Who knows what the hell it was. Hold on, I wasn't wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants before. God, my head hurts.

"It's only aspirin, to help with the nausea and dizziness." Mycroft rolled his eyes at me. I took the pill, gulping down the water. I didn't realize I needed a drink that badly. "You're in my house to answer your earlier questions. Get some sleep. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow."

Mycroft left me sitting on the bathroom floor. That was about as brotherly as he was capable of. I sat there for a moment. Was it even worth the effort to make it all the way into the other room? After a while, my back began to ache from leaning against the tub. I shivered and then crawled across the floor to the bed, settling under the covers.

"Mycroft wants you downstairs." A female voice woke me up. Anthea, his assistant. What time is it? I felt like it had only been minutes. The clock read 7:42. Mycroft had always been an early riser. I groaned and covered my head with the comforter.

"It's too early." I complained. I, on the other hand, was not a morning person. I preferred to get up around say noon. Anthea laughed. I couldn't be sure if it was at me or something on her phone. She's always on that thing. Sometimes, I think she's simply texting Mycroft about some funny cat video that she'd found. I pulled the comforter down just enough to be able to look at her. That's right, Anthea. I read all your emails to Mycroft about the cat videos because I got bored and hacked the account.

As if she'd heard me, Anthea looked up from her phone. "I've been authorized to drag you out of bed if you refuse." She had a playful smile on her face. Mycroft made it sound like I'm a high profile prisoner. Authorized. Against my decision to make everything difficult for him, I got up.

I ignored Anthea's protest to put proper clothes on. Clad in the sweatpants and the t-shirt that is too big on me, I went to the dining room. Mycroft wasn't alone. Another man sat at the table. He had on a solid black suit and was fidgeting with the knife on the table. He must work for Mycroft and they were waiting on me. Mycroft set down the newspaper and gave a frustrated sigh.

"Have a seat." He said. Damn, no comment about the clothes. I'd have to try harder. He must know what I'm doing.

"I need some tea. Kitchen's this way?" I asked. I walked behind Mycroft's chair. He snatched my wrist, gripping it rather hard.

"I've already had some prepared."

"English breakfast?"

"Yes."

"Three cubes and a little milk?" I asked.

"Yes, I do remember how you like your tea." Mycroft replied. He gave me an annoyed, disapproving look. Oh so this man was a client's negotiator. Someone Mycroft needed me to work with.

"Is it drugged?" I asked. The man looked up from the table at me, clearly interested in my comment. I'd underestimated Mycroft's ability to remain calm. He was good. No burst of emotion. The chair scrapped the floor as Mycroft stood. Without a word, he took me to the kitchen, shutting the double sliding doors. I opened three cabinets before I found the cups and the tea bags.

"I understand you're angry, but that's no excuse to act like a child." Mycroft said. Heating up the tea in the microwave, I turned to him.

"Did you really think you could drug me and bring me back and I'd thank you?" I practically shouted. The microwave beeped and I put three cubes of sugar and some milk in it.

"Don't be so dramatic, Karissa. The British Government has a job for you." Mycroft replied. I'd learned to make tea this way in America. I'd been so busy that I didn't have the time to use the kettle.

"I'm not working for you. You can do or say whatever you want. The answer will always be no." I snapped. My shoulder hurt. I'd noticed it earlier but brushed it off, assuming that it resulted from the drugs. I felt it. Wait, is that stitches?

"Oh yes, I've had a tracking device inserted. You can't leave the house without my expressed permission. It's my new security. I'll always know where you are." Mycroft smiled a bit. I almost dropped my tea. This is why I didn't want to work for him. It's never a choice. It's his way or go through hellfire.

"Then where I am supposed to run at? I don't do treadmills. I prefer real workouts." I said. It's a jab at his so called diet. He must know that I'm not dumb enough to try to run away like that. I have a much better idea for getting out of here.

"I'll consider it. It hinges on your ability to impress that man with your particular skill set." Mycroft said. I forced a smile.

"See, compromise isn't all that hard." I said. I took a sip of my tea. All I had to do was bide my time. It starts with my utter cooperation with just enough resistance to keep it plausible. It's like he doesn't realize that he can be beaten. He's locked me in a house, believing that he's covered every escape. He should know that finding the hole is my specialty. It's why he'd brought me back, after all.


	3. Chapter 3

It was working. Slowly. Mycroft didn't show a lot of emotion but I was getting to him; annoying him with my picky requests. Like this morning, I wouldn't eat bacon from the store that he had Anthea pick up. It had to be local pig meat only. Then like now, where I was having a screening for one of his watch dogs to be my bodyguard or in reality, my babysitter.

"We have been here for more than two hours, Karissa. If you do not pick one, I will take your privilege to run outside," Mycroft said. He looked at his watch, like he was late for something.

Good. Let him be late.

"I go for long runs. I have to know if he'll be able to keep up," I answered, shrugging my shoulders. I had the remaining three choices running around the house. Mycroft has offered a good sum of money for "entertaining" my insane testing.

Of course, I already knew which one of them I'd choose. Joseph had way too much muscle. I'd never get away from him when I made my escape. Charles would have been my choice, but he talked way too much. I would just pull out all of my hair if I had to spend every waking minute with him beside me.

That left me with Benjamin, which also happened to be Mycroft's suggested one as well. He wasn't quite as old as the other two. I think he was around twenty-nine. He had dark brown hair and green eyes; over six feet tall. Plus, he was on the leaner side of the muscle scale. Not that it really mattered.

What did matter was that he could be clumsy and distracted sometimes. I'd had my eye on him as my way of escape since he knocked over that ridiculous suit of armor Mycroft had in his foyer. Benjamin would be my way out.

"Karissa," Mycroft nudged me with his umbrella.

Completely out of breath, the three men had stopped running. Huh. My timer was beeping. I didn't realize that it had been that long. They were waiting for me to say something.

"Alright. I guess I'll take Benjamin." I looked down at my phone to seem disinterested.

Joseph and Charles seemed relieved when Mycroft told them they could return to their regular duties. Both of them muttered about being glad I didn't choose them. They left, going inside. Mycroft told Benjamin to watch out for me before following after them.

"Looks like it's just me and you, Karissa," Benjamin said. He pulled his sweaty tank top over his head.

"Right. You should go shower or something," I replied, wrinkling my nose up.

"Your test." Benjamin grinned but didn't move.

Oh. He's waiting for me. I stuck my phone into my pocket and took off running around the side of the house. I'd taken him by surprise. One. Two. Three. I rounded the corner and stopped. Four. Five. Six. Seven.

Benjamin almost ran into me when he came around the corner. He huffed and grabbed my arm. "What were you… oh, another test."

"If you plan on keeping me safe, I suggest you run faster." I jerked loose and jogged up the stairs to the front door. "I don't want to be killed because my bodyguard is slow."

"You're trying to get me to quit. You think you can run me off? Literally." Benjamin followed, out of breath.

"I'd be lying if I said I was happy to have you around," I said. I headed up the big staircase to the second floor. "If that isn't working, I can try bribery or seduction."

I started to go left which is where my room was but Benjamin promptly redirected me. I rolled my eyes and said, "Oh my god. You're living here."

"Better be a damn good bribery. You only get one try. Seduction is off the table. You aren't my type." Benjamin winked and held the door open to his room.

"What is your type?" I asked, taking in his room. It didn't have a lot in it. Nothing to identify any family. No personal items. Weird.

"Anyone not you. Plus, you're a child. Smart beyond your years," he added when I glared at him. "You'd be better off working on the bribery. I'll let you in on a secret. Mycroft pays exceptionally well."

"Not a money bribe. Got it." I sat on his bed and watched him kick off his shoes. He put them in his closet. It was practically empty too. A few suits and some polo shirts.

Benjamin held out his hand to me. Confused, I slowly reached out.

"Sorry about this." He snapped a cuff around my wrist and attached it to the bed frame at the foot of the bed.

"What the hell?!" I half screamed. I jerked on it until he did it again to my other wrist.

"I won't be long, I promise," he said.

"I'll be telling my brother about this," I snapped and jerked some more.

"Oh, he's the one who suggested it." He continued after he let that sink in. "I'll turn on the telly."

He flipped on the cooking channel and went into the bathroom, almost running into the door. I rolled my eyes. Idiot. I can't... actually I can believe that Mycroft would do this. He's trying to anger me.

Once he finished showering, he came out with a towel wrapped around his waist. He uncuffed me before grabbing some clothes. "Don't try running, okay?"

"I wasn't going to."

"Mycroft seems to disagree," Benjamin kept the bathroom door cracked. "Why do you want to leave anyways?"

"Do I need to say? You work for Mycroft. He's an ass. And he's controlling." I rubbed my wrists.

"A little."

"He hunted me down and drugged me. He put a tracking device in me," I said, feeling angrier by the second. Maybe I don't like Benjamin after all.

"Calm down. We're going to be stuck together. I just wanted to get to know you." Benjamin had on a suit when he came out. He straightened out his shirt.

"Like what my favorite color is? Or what I dream about being when I grow up?" I mocked and rolled my eyes again. We were stuck together for a while. I should probably be civil.

Probably.

Over the next few weeks, Benjamin started to trust me. I opened up to him a little. Just enough to gain that sense of trust. I would need it if I wanted to escape, which I did. That would be his mistake.

I waited a full month and a half before I started to implement my plan of escape. I played the good sister, I went everywhere Mycroft told me to go with plenty of resistance and disdain. I always acted like I hated every minute of it.

Benjamin wasn't so bad to have around. He was kind of funny except for his clumsiness. It got on my nerves sometimes. He went running with me every morning and didn't try to keep up conversation.

The running trails changed every few days. I'd mapped out most of them. Mycroft thought of everything… almost. I'd found my out. I simply had seven seconds to get to my hiding spot once I rounded the corner of the trail.

First step to dropping off the grid: lose Benjamin.


	4. Chapter 4

I stared at myself in the mirror. This was going to hurt. It was taking me way too long to convince myself to just do it. Leaning back to look out of the bathroom door, I saw the time. 8:17. Benjamin would be here to get me in thirteen minutes. He was never late and he had a key if I didn't answer the door.

On the counter of the sink, an old razor blade, gauze, and some medical tape were lined up in a row. I'd stolen the razor blade from one of my old disposable razors. The gauze and tape were harder to come by.

I slipped off my t-shirt and picked up the razor. There was only a small scar indicating where the tracking chip had been inserted. I knew it wasn't right under the skin because I couldn't feel it when I ran my fingers over it. Which means that I have to cut deep and get into the muscle.

Turning sideways so I could see what I was doing in the mirror, I pressed the tip of the blade down hard and slowly drug it through the muscle. There was more blood than I had anticipated. It slid down my back, my legs and dripped on the floor.

I had to bite my tongue to keep from screaming. By the time I finished the cut, I was hunched over. A few deep breaths. I'm not sure that's the worst part. The chip still has to be removed.

If you've ever had to stick your fingers inside a gash on the human body, you know how disgusting it feels. The muscle that I was digging into tensed up in pulses. It was warm and slippery. Plus, it _fucking_ hurt.

I think I'm going to puke.

When my fingers touched something metal, I sighed with relief. I gently pulled it out and set it on the sink.

Suck it, Mycroft.

I stepped into the shower and washed the blood off my body with cold water while I pressed a wet wash cloth over the gash. There wasn't a lot of time to wrap it and I'm not doctor. But it would have to do.

Cleaning up didn't take long. I stuffed all the bloody items into an old tampon box and hid it under a few items in the garbage. Benjamin wouldn't look in it. He says it's gross. It's no wonder he doesn't have a girlfriend.

He knocked on the door. "Karissa, you ready?"

"Just about." I rinsed off the chip and stuck it in my bra before opening the door. I made it a practice to never be completely ready on time. I had on shorts, a t-shirt, socks, and one tennis shoe that was untied.

Benjamin did his secret inspection of my room. Basically, neither of us acknowledged out loud that it was happening.

"Now are you ready?" Benjamin asked with a grin. He exited the bathroom like he'd used it but I know he was searching.

"Yeah, help me up." I held out my hands and he pulled me up. This was it. My plan to escape finally in motion. I ditched the tracker along the beginning of the trail.

Running with a gash in your shoulder is not ideal. It sucks. I had to focus on not looking like I was in pain or passing out. It burned. I knew it was bleeding through the gauze.

I had to pace myself. It was only 200 yards until I had to lose Benjamin. Glancing over at him, I noted he wasn't paying attention, like usual. He had headphones in that were blasting Indie Rock. Go figure.

He wasn't prepared when I broke out into a sprint. He yelled my name. Once I rounded the corner, I counted in my head.

One.

Two.

Three.

Sliding down a small hill, I rolled under a big bush .

Four.

Five.

Six.

"Karissa!" Benjamin shouted as he came around the corner. "Shit!" He cursed more under his breath. I could imagine him running his hand through his hair like he did when he was stressed. He stopped, probably looking around. I could hear his heavy breathing.

I covered my mouth with my hand. I was out of breath and there were sticks jabbing into me in uncomfortable places. I closed my eyes, listening to him yell for me again. Sorry, Ben.

Finally, he took off running. I laid still for a few more moments. I couldn't risk waiting anymore. After a few runs on this trail, I had estimated it would take Benjamin fifteen minutes to reach the house and have a signal. Then this trail would be crawling with Mycroft's men.

I dusted myself off and checked the wound. Blood coated my fingers. I should find a doctor in the near future. First things first, I wiped away the leaves over the old manhole. It wasn't used anymore and I doubted that Mycroft even knew it existed. I'd spotted it when Benjamin and I were resting and I "accidentally" knocked his phone out of his hand and it rolled down the hill.

The lid hit the ground with a thud. It wouldn't matter if they found my escape route. I would either get away and off the grid or if they found me, which was highly unlikely, then I wouldn't be allowed out this far anyways. I knew he wouldn't catch me. I'd planned for everything. I was a Holmes after all.


End file.
